Petals in the snow
by wildcatinuzuka
Summary: The Shino Academy hosts a tournament every graduation to show the captains what the graduates have to offer and Ichigo was roped(blackmailed) in by Rukia to help test them. He originally planned to fight one person, kick their ass and go home; but when a nameless graduate catches his eye, he is pulled into a life of wonder and a new family with the Squad that gets her.
1. Chapter 1

Ichigo was staring at the crowd with a bored eye. All of his friends were watching but he was stuck helping Rukia test some stupid kids!

He would wonder how he got pulled into this but sadly he already knew…

 _Ichigo was finally having a peaceful night; the first one in a long time, believe it or not. His family was out of town for the weekend and he planned to take advantage of the hard earned peace by indulging in his guilty-and very secret and he wanted to keep it that way, thank you very much- pleasure; a relaxing bubble bath. Ichigo had it all set up; lavender scented candles, lavender bubble soap and bath salt, a bottle of cherry cider-non-alcoholic, of course- and a glass. He also had his favourite romance novel, a CD player that had a Lindsey Stirling disc inside and a platter of his favourite snacks. He was planning on not coming out of the damn tub any time soon and who ever tried would get their ass kicked, friend or foe; he didn't care. They would meet a very sudsy demise._

 _Ichigo had changed into a soft cotton bathrobe and he turned on the water, setting it to the perfect temperature. He opened the bubble soap and he dumped a little in; the bath salts were next. As the water developed suds, Ichigo lit the candles and poured himself a glass of the rich crimson cider, setting it within arm's reach. He turned off the water when it was just right, dropped the robe and climbed in._

 _Ichigo leaned his head back against the back of the tub, getting comfortable and letting the stress of the last few months ooze out of him. Ever since he had gotten his Shinigami powers from Rukia, he had gone on one stressful adventure after the other with very little personal time. His home had turned into a Shinigami hot spot and Ichigo was close to snapping. Ichigo normally had very good patience-with two sisters and an annoying dad, he needed it by the ton- but the Shinigami were very_ _ **good**_ _at destroying it._

 _Ichigo picked up his novel, opened it to the page that he had stopped at and he got lost in the plot._

 _He was so engrossed in his paperback that he didn't hear the door open or one Rukia Kuchiki gawking at the seemingly absurd scene that was playing out in front of her._

 _Ichigo had reached for a peanut butter cup when he spotted a waraji and sock covered foot. Paling, he looked up. He paled even more when he realized two things. One, he had been found out. Two, the person who found him out was a girl._

 _His mind chose that moment to clock out._

 _They stayed that way for two minutes before Ichigo suddenly shrieked-mind working again and racing a mile a second- and dove up to his nose into the water._

 _"I'm so sorry Ichigo! I didn't know that you were busy!" Rukia yelped._

 _Ichigo grumbled, "What is the matter Rukia? If it's a Hollow, I will be extremely pissed. I am having some private time and you assholes will not ruin it. You guys can handle a simple Hollow."_

 _Rukia knew two things. One, her best friend was not in the best mood. Two, she had the perfect one-use only piece of blackmail._

 _Her original plan was to ask him but this was better._

 _Rukia smiled at Ichigo; knowingly making said person mentally freak out, "The Shino Academy- It's were Shinigami learn how to be Shinigami- have a graduation tournament every year. One Squad is elected every year to be a part of it. This tournament is to show off the Graduating class to the Taichous and the rest of the Seireitei. My Squad was elected this year. Only the seated officers can do the testing but we are a little short this year," Ichigo feared where this was going, "I told my Taichou that you would be more than willing to help out with our dilemma."_

 _Ichigo raised his head above the water and opened his mouth to protest when he realized that_ _ **he**_ _was the one in the compromising position and if he knew it than Rukia knew it._

 _He signed; well he could kiss his baths good-bye._

He had been right too. Rukia had blackmailed him into doing it. He had no choice in the matter.

"Hey, at least act like you want to be here," Rukia snapped, "You're scaring the graduates."

Ichigo deepened his scowl even more just to piss her off. Rukia scowled back.

"Rukia, is everything ready?" She turned and beamed at Ukitake-Taichou.

"Everything is going smoothly… mostly," She twisted around to level Ichigo with Kuchiki glare # 34- the 'I'm pissed at you and you better grovel at my feet and beg for forgiveness' one.

Ichigo was immune to it because it's Uryuu's signature glare.

He just glared back.

Ukitake just laughed and ruffled their hair, "Everything will go smoothly. All the students have a seated officer assigned to them, "His face took a pensive turn, "One student however is not registered and she is a nervous wreck. One of the other students fixed the registration issue- had an issue with her name though- but she is as skittish as a kitten. Ichigo," Ichigo turned to look at him, "Do you mind battling her? I think that if she went against an opponent that would push her to do the best she can, she would succeed and prove to herself that she can do it."

Ichigo mulled this tidbit of information over as Ukitake pointed the mystery girl out to Rukia. He wanted to refuse but Ukitake had some good points. Ichigo had a secret teaching side that had been born because of years of teaching his little sisters. He was also a big softie and Ukitake _knew it_.

"Fine," He scoffed, "Who is the mystery gal?"

Ukitake beamed at him and pointed to a small huddle on the bench, "She's on that bench. You might want to get a look at her before the rest of the class gets there."

Ichigo scowled and walked over to the group. He was tall enough that he didn't have to shove people around to see the center. What he saw surprised him. A girl sat on the bench. She looked about five feet, three inches. Her uniform was a wreck, the normally white parts a light brownish-red and the bright red pants were dark; bandages were seen through the folds of the clothes. The girl's skin was an alabaster colour and was littered with even paler scars. Her eyes were an arctic blue that had specks of pale jade and lilac; making them look like exotic opals. The weird part was the fact two members of the crowd- one a male with dark red hair and rich green eyes and other a female with blonde hair streaked blue and gold-freckled hazel eyes- had water bottles and a small bar of soap. They were running the soap through the unidentified girl's hair and were using the water to rinse it. It looked like a light brown to Ichigo but as the water and soap did its job, he realized that there was another colour under it because the brown was _disappearing_. As the dirt-because that was what the brown colour really was- was rinsed out of her hair, a pearlescent white appeared. Ichigo was captivated by it but he noticed that it was in a short spiky style that didn't seem to complement her exotic looks at all.

He left because he wanted to give the girl some space.

It was _not_ because he was chased off by a pack of protective students.

Rukia was amused by the fact the class had huddled around the bench and that some of them were practically hissing at any Shinigami stupid enough to wander too close to the huddle. And that included Ichigo, who bolted back after seeing his opponent.

"What, a pack of kids sent you away with your tail tucked between your legs?" Rukia teased as he scurried away.

"Yeah, they were vicious brats," Ichigo admitted as he watched the huddle. Ichigo wasn't about to tell Rukia this but he had seen something on the girl that _didn't belong_. He had _just_ decided to tell Ukitake when the gong that signalled for the tournament to start went off.

 ** _Wildcat: Ya! My first bleach fic is out for the world to see!_**

 ** _Ichigo: Wildcat!_**

 ** _Wildcat: Uh oh... gotta go! I own noting but AU's OPT's headcanons and OC's!_**


	2. Chapter 2

The fights had been no more than ten minutes each but some of them got close to the limit. This year's graduates were a strong batch.

Kenpachi was impressed with some of them; even since almost all of them had displayed more kido based skills than the face to face combat skill that Squad Eleven valued.

"A wonderful class, eh Kenny?" He turned to his surrogate daughter; Yachiru. She was happily munching on a lollipop that someone gave her. Either Kuchiki or Ukitake… maybe both; his daughter was just _that_ clever.

"Yea but none of them have the Eleventh mentality kiddo," Kenpachi replied as Kuchiki's sister finished her fight. He was honestly waiting for Ichigo's fight; it was bound to be two things; good or quick.

" _Finally the final fight of the day; Ichigo Kurosaki versus Mystery,"_ That caught Kenpachi's attention. It also caught the attention of the rest of the Taichous'.

Ichigo strode into the ring, hoping the poor girl didn't chicken out. He wasn't disappointed. She walked out; a near unnoticeable tremble shaking the thin frame. The proctor watched her as she approached the center. Ichigo waited patiently for her as she reached them; praying that this fight helped her out of her shell.

Ichigo had watched the girl the whole tournament, piecing the situation together with his observations. She had a constant tremble on her and she flinched whenever a person became too loud. The class had done a good job of keeping her calm but as more and more of them had passed and had took a spot in the stands, the tremble got worse and worse. It had gotten even worse when a woman had stormed over and had demanded that she get back to the school. The students that had remained at the time had levelled the woman with a very impressive glare. One of the two students- the male; the female passing with three minutes to spare-that had washed the mysterious girls hair had told her that the girl was already registered in an icy tone. The woman-who could only be the teacher- had told the girl to fail or _else_ and had stormed away. Ichigo came to a very startling conclusion after this unnerving confrontation.

The girl had been abused.

The girl had been abused by the _teacher_.

Ichigo was _determined_ to bring her out of the shell the teacher had forced the girl to create.

"Alright, we want this to be a fair fight," Ichigo ripped himself out of his thoughts so he pay attention to the rules, "Bankai is allowed if both parties can perform it," Ichigo knew that this was just a formality because normal students- or most seated officers- wouldn't be able to do it, "And the time limit is ten minutes. No maiming or killing but cutting is allowed. Now shake hands and say your names."

Both Ichigo and the girl called Mystery nodded and shook hands.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. Who are you?" Ichigo asked as he gently cradled the shivering hand.

"I don't have a name but everyone in the class called me Mystery," The girl rasped out. They dropped the hands.

The proctor frantically leapt out of the way with a holler, "BEGIN!"

Ichigo raised his sword straight up and swung downward; a cloud of dust rising from the force of the swing. The crowd held its breath; there was no way that the fight was over that quickly. The dust settled and the girl was still standing there but she quickly shunpoed away when Ichigo raised his knife-like sword again. As she moved away, a 'clack' filled the silent air. The whole arena zoomed in on the black reiatsu inhibitor collar that rested in the dirt. Ichigo strode forward and wrapped it up in a piece of cloth that he ripped from his shihakusho.

"Toushiro, catch," He flung it at the white hair Taichou, who caught it without a fumble.

"There sweetheart, now you can do the best you can without an irritating piece of metal rubbing your neck raw," Ichigo said. Mystery gave him a wide-eyed look. She observed him for a second and slowly reached for her zanpaktou; slipping into a stance that Ichigo didn't recognize. Her left arm was placed behind her back and she faced him with her right. Her legs were loose and slightly apart.

"Thank you but this is still a fight," She mumbled softly.

Ichigo chuckled and adjusted his grip on Zangetsu, "Yea you're right. This is still a fight; so show me what you got."

Mystery smiled softly; pulling the katana out of her sheath, "Protect, Fuyuhime."

The sword lit up and it transformed. It seemed to shrink but it only made Ichigo cautious of her.

Hanatarou's was small but it packed a punch once it was charged.

The light faded away to reveal a beautiful sword. It was short, the whole weapon as long as the forearm, extending past the elbow by two inches. The hilt had a curved guard that provided protection to the hand and had a lengthy six to eight foot white ribbon on the end of the hilt- the only long part of the weapon- and it was an ethereal whitish-blue colour. The short blade was silver-gray and it curved upwards near the end, sharp on both sides.

Ichigo smiled, "That's a beautiful weapon but what can it do?"

Mystery smiled back and she suddenly disappeared. Ichigo jolted, eyes widening. He turned around in time to block the swing that was coming at him. As they struggled, frost crept onto Zangetsu, ice coating the blade. Ichigo broke the struggle and jumped back.

"Ice huh? Neat but I spar with Toushiro and Rukia. I know how to handle that already."

She gave a timid smile.

The wind picked up and snow started to whip around. Before Ichigo-and the crowd- knew it, a blizzard filled the combat zone.

"Ok," Ichigo called out, "Now I'm impressed."

Ichigo waited. He knew that she would attack in this powdery confusion. A sound on his left caught his attention and he swung Zangetsu hard; using the dull side to prevent any damage. An 'oof' and a loud crash told him that he was successful. The blizzard died down too; a bonus in Ichigo's mind. He spotted Mystery on the wall; she had crashed into it when Ichigo had hit her. She slowly climbed back up and Mystery slipped the ribbon into her right hand, looping it around her left hand. She started to twirl it around; unknowingly mimicking what Ichigo did with Zangetsu. Ichigo slipped into a defensive stance, raising Zangetsu just as she charged him. Using the ribbon as a whip, Mystery manoeuvred Fuyuhime around Zangetsu; effectively trapping Ichigo within punching range. Ichigo realized this just before a small fist connected with his left cheek.

" _This position is a two way street girlie,_ " Ichigo thought. He reared his fist back and punched her in the jaw. He thought that Mystery would Shunpo away after that but she cocked her fist back and landed a hit right on the other cheek. Ichigo countered with a blow to the nose and she punched him, using her fingernails as claws.

They traded punches for another minute before Mystery managed to detangle Fuyuhime from Zangetsu and she leapt away. They were a mess at that point; blood dripping from cuts that had been inflicted by fingernails as well as matching nose-bleeds and bruises forming on both of their faces and torso's.

Ichigo had been appalled that he had punched a girl in the chest until Mystery had delivered a marvellous blow to his nose.

He wasn't so appalled anymore.

"Not bad Mystery but I think we should take it up a notch," Ichigo said, watching as Mystery stared at Ichigo in shock than in defeat.

"How did you figure it out?" She asked as she wiped the blood away from her nose.

"You have the same power levels as me. The only two ways to safely channel and control that power is to learn your Bankai or have an inhibitor; most likely both because there was no way that collar would have kept all of it contained without hurting you. Whoever put that collar on you unknowingly helped you raise your power levels to what my level are right now and they taught you how to control that power to boot."

The crowd froze. The Taichous leaned forward; as did most of the crowd. A student that knew Bankai? This was a _rare_ occurrence and everyone knew it.

"I'll go first," Ichigo offered.

Mystery nodded.

The crowd leaned back as reiatsu filled the arena. The Fukutaichou's, Taichou's and Yamamoto- Soutaichou were the only ones that were still leaning fully forward. Squad Eleven were also leaning forward, anticipating the fight to come.

Ichigo's shihakusho changed into the tattered black jacket that revealed a lot of skin and the slender version of Zangetsu but Mystery didn't even bat an eye.

Kenpachi… he gawked and turned the brightest shade of red. Yachiru and Toushiro were too _innocent_ to understand why Kenpachi had turned into a human tomato but everyone else wasn't.

Mystery waited until Ichigo smiled at her softly. Her reiatsu flared and coated the stadium in a wintery but warm blanket. Many had sighed when it washed over them but it was gone as soon as they got comfortable. They looked down into the battle zone and saw a sight many would never forget.

Mystery's hakama and shihakusho had transformed into an elegant blue and white kimono. Its skirt was long and it flared open at mid-thigh to reveal her legs. The top was a shoulder baring kimono top but the sleeves were tight to the skin and the obi was long and flowing with a snowflake charm on the front. Two bracers rested on her arms and her feet were covered in boots instead of the traditional waraji and socks. A choker necklace with a delicate snowflake charm hung around her neck. A diadem rested on her forehead and it was accented with a pair of small wings made of ice. Mystery's hair had grown long and had blue ends; it floated around her as if the wind was playing with it. Two longs swords with a hilt that was similar to Fuyuhime's shikai form rested in her hands.

Ichigo let out a whistle and many people thought that he thought that she looked gorgeous and they wouldn't blame him for it.

"Damn, that's a powerful Bankai. I bet it's like mine; sacrificing speed for power but in the reverse. Your power points take a dive but your speed points get a major upgrade."

The whole stadium sweat-dropped.

Then again, they could be wrong.

Anyone that was Ichigo's friend and a constant visitor to his home knew what the hell he was talking about.

Ichigo was the reigning video game champion at his house after all.

Mystery looked surprised but she just shrugged. She had no idea what the terms were but that was the gist of her Bankai.

The proctor chose that moment to remind them that they had three minutes left.

Ichigo glared at the man, who just cringed.

"Time to dance," Ichigo said with an emotion that only Squad Eleven recognized and understood.

Excitement.

The girl that was adeptly named Mystery had the same expression on her face as she readied herself. They launched themselves at each other. Ichigo swung but Mystery neatly parried and she swung herself around and kicked at his face. Ichigo blocked and she wrestled her leg free. Mystery disappeared and reappeared on Ichigo's right, swinging the left sword at him. Ichigo deflected with Zangetsu, allowing Mystery a chance to swing the right sword at him and she managed to score a shallow cut on his chest. He kicked Mystery in the solar plexus, sending her flying. She flipped over and drove the two swords into the ground, effectively stopping herself. Ichigo shunpoed over and struck her with Zangetsu. A diagonal wound appeared on her torso. Mystery leapt away from Ichigo. They panted for a second and dove back into the thick of it.

A dust cloud formed from the intense fight and it blocked the view of the audience for a few seconds than it faded away. The scene they saw shocked them.

Ichigo and Mystery were a mess and their Bankai had dispersed at some point. Clothes all torn and barely covering some things; cuts littering both of them and blood rapidly pooling at their feet. They both had lost their zanpaktou too.

Two minutes.

They threw themselves at each other and were _brawling_. Fist flew, kicks were delivered and nails were turned into makeshift claws. Scrapes of black fabric and blood flew and dust was kicked up.

Squad Eleven was in an uproar. _This was the best fight they have ever seen_!

One minute.

They broke apart and they panted. Blood was splattered all over them and they had a few more scratches. The only thing covering Mystery's average breasts was small scrapes of fabric and barely there bandages while her hakama was shredded to her upper thighs. Ichigo's shihakusho was gone and the hakama was missing the left leg.

"One final punch?" Ichigo asked.

Mystery nodded.

"One final punch."

They charged, fists reared back.

Thirty seconds.

They picked up speed.

Twenty seconds.

They unleashed a war cry.

Ten seconds

The fists make contact with their opponents face.

Five seconds

The arena watched.

Four.

No one moved.

Three.

Ichigo and Mystery wavered.

Two.

Their eyes glazed and closed

One.

They fell over.

Zero.

They hit the ground, dust rising from where they fell and blood starting to pool around their still bodies.

The stadium was silent. No one could believe what they had just seen what was unarguably the best fight in the history of the Shino graduation tournament.

"Mystery passes the graduation tournament. She is now a member of the Gotei Thirteen," The Soutaichou announced.

The silence was destroyed by the uproar that ensued after the announcement.

 _ **Wildcat: I did my best with the fight scene? How did I do?**_ _**Disclaimer... I own nothing but AU's, Headcanons, OC's and OPT's.**_


	3. Chapter 3

Ichigo pulled his eyelids open. He had no idea where he was but he was tired and sore as hell.

"She is not a member of the Gotei Thirteen! She doesn't deserve it!"

A female voice was screeching and raising hell. Ichigo cringed and let out a groan as pain flared through his body. A sob caught his attention and he turned his head towards it. Mystery was sitting up on her bed and had tear tracks staining her cheeks. Bandages covered her thin physique and they were concealed by the standard white hospital yukata that the Fourth made their patients wear.

"Mystery had passed the test that is standard for the students to graduate. She has earned her spot as a Shinigami," That was the Soutaichou's voice.

Ichigo watched as Mystery's face changed from a scared expression to a hopeful one.

"She wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place!" The female voice fell silent after that statement.

A cold voice that Ichigo _knew_ was Toushiro spoke, "Kyoakuna Ranyosha; you are under arrest for abuse of authority, child slavery, and destroying official documents."

The woman's voice started to shriek, "You white hair freak! You have _no_ power over me! I'm a normal person and have more rights than a _freak_ like you deserves! You should just go rot in hell where you belong!"

Silence greeted those words. Ichigo watched as Mystery slowly climbed out of the bed and hobbled to the door just as a voice that Ichigo identified as Rangiku growled out, "What was that you-" She was interrupted by Mystery opening the door. She leaned against the frame of the door, her back to Ichigo but he can just _imagine_ the pissed off look she was giving. He could only see a brown eyed, black haired woman and the Soutaichou but Mystery's head was aimed at the woman that Ichigo realized was Ranyosha.

"You have no right to call him that. You can call _me_ a freak all you want but you will never call Hitsugaya-Taichou a freak," Mystery's voice was brittle and frosty; a brutal reminder of one of the elements that she could wield.

The woman looked enraged and she raised a hand with the intent to slap Mystery on the face.

She never got the chance to.

Ranyosha's hand was restrained by Rangiku and Toushiro had placed himself between Ranyosha and Mystery. Rangiku forced Ranyosha's arm behind her back and used a bakudo to restrain her. Then Rangiku dragged her away as Ranyosha screamed she will destroy Mystery, Toushiro and all the freakish demons if it was the last thing she ever did.

Mystery slumped to the ground and Ichigo dragged himself out of the bed to help her up. He made it halfway when the Soutaichou helped her up. He gently led her back in the direction of the bed and he collected Ichigo on the way by.

Unohana-Taichou walked into- what was undoubtedly- the most adorable sight she had ever seen. Ichigo-kun and Mystery-chan were both asleep in the same bed with Yamamoto-Soutaichou reading a novel out-loud to them. Ichigo-kun was flat on his back while Mystery-chan was cuddled up to him on her side. Yamamoto-Soutaichou paused to fix the blanket and brush back their bangs; he resumed reading when Ichigo stirred.

They didn't call him the grandfather of the Seireitei for _nothing_.

"I heard that there was a bit of a scuffle outside this room. Is everyone alright?" She asked sweetly but Yamamoto knew that if he gave her the _wrong_ answer, he would _suffer_ for it.

"They're fine," He said slowly, "Mystery was understandably upset but Kurosaki attempted to calm her down. She was still upset so Kurosaki climbed into her bed and petted her hair until she fell asleep."

Unohana nodded and waved a kaido covered hand over the both of them and was seemingly satisfied with the results.

"I give them until a couple of days after tomorrow than you can do the Squad assignments. Ichigo-kun would still be sore and would need some help standing up or sitting down but he should be up and about in a week. He also has a slight fever. Mystery would need a little longer because she used too much reiatsu in this match but she should be fine if she doesn't do any reiatsu work for a week after she gets assigned," Unohana said as she fetched the blanket off of Ichigo's bed and she spread it over the sleeping pair. She didn't tell him about the fact Mystery is malnourished and dehydrated; forcing her onto a calorie rich diet.

Yamamoto nodded and he picked the book back up and Unohana got a look at the title, "You're reading them **_The Cry of the Icemark_**? Really? I thought that you didn't like human books?"

He looked embarrassedly at her, "It was in Kurosaki's bag and he wanted it. Apparently when he's not feeling great, his father would read to him to help him relax. I decided to indulge him since he was a little feverish and it helped Mystery relax too."

"You just wanted an excuse to coddle him."

"That too."

They shared a quiet laugh and Unohana left Yamamoto-Soutaichou to continue to read to the two sleeping Shinigami with a promise to send some fever reducer over.

Ichigo signed as Unohana-Taichou helped him towards the First Squad barracks with Mystery in tow. She refused to let him out of her sight ever since the fight outside their door and the fever that he had been fighting the last two days. The fever had broken late last night and from what Ichigo was told, Mystery had not only refused to leave his bedside but she had also tended to him with Hanatarou's help.

Ichigo had laughed hysterically when he found out that she had launched herself at Renji when he had been too noisy and disruptive.

"We're here Ichigo-kun," He jumped slightly when Unohana-Taichou spoke softly.

He turned to Mystery, "There is a courtyard down the hall. I want you to go sit there while I'm in this meeting," Mystery looked like she was about to cry, "I won't be long; it's just so we can place you in the best squad for you."

She nodded with tears gathered in the corner of her eyes but as she turned to go down the hall; Kenpachi- with Yachiru on his back-, Yumichika and Ikkaku appeared out of nowhere, racing down the hallway like cheetahs that had chugged high-octane fuel.

"Just in time Kenny!" Yachiru cheered as the three men screeched to a halt in front of Ichigo, Mystery and Unohana-Taichou. Unohana raised an eyebrow at the antics of Squad Eleven's Taichou, Fukutaichou Third and Fifth seat. Ichigo snorted in amusement and he observed at Mystery to see her reaction to all this.

He laughed harder at what he saw. Mystery looked like a deer caught in front of a herd of crazy wolves. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was dropped open. He stopped when she looked at him with a nervous expression.

"Hello Ichigo, I heard that you had a fever. How are you feeling now?" Yumichika asked as Kenpachi and Yachiru scrambled inside the room.

"I'm fine now. Sore and in need of a damn good-," He paused and looked at Mystery, "Bedroom dance… but I just want to have this meeting over so I can get some sleep."

Ikkaku cackled, "I bet you want some sleep; in more than _one_ sense," He laughed harder when Ichigo flushed a crimson red and glared at Ikkaku, who just smirked like he knew a dirty secret. Ichigo paled than flushed even darker.

"One word Ikkaku and _I_ _spill_ ," He hissed. Ikkaku lost his smirk and scowled at Ichigo.

"Boys, behave. You're scaring the _beautiful_ young lady," Yumichika scolded. Mystery looked at him with a completely shocked look on her face, "Besides, you and Unohana -Taichou have to go in."

Ichigo looked at Unohana-Taichou and quickly looked at Mystery than at Yumichika and Ikkaku, "Are you guys going to wait in the courtyard?" Ikkaku and Yumichika gave him a surprised look but Yumichika gave him a nod, "Could you guys watch her for me? We had an unnerving encounter with her former teacher and I don't like leaving her alone."

Ikkaku looked confused but Yumichika's expression changed from confused to rage to understanding to kind in the blind of an eye.

Unohana clearly missed it but Ichigo didn't.

"Do you mind going with my friends Mystery?" Ichigo asked. She looked at the two men than at Ichigo with a frightened look, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I trust them with my life," She looked at him one more time and timidly reached for Yumichika's hand. He grasped her hand gently and led her away from the door. Ikkaku smiled at the two and turned back to Ichigo, the smile replaced with a deep frown.

"She's been hurt mighty bad. I don't know if the squad that gets her can fix her," He stated.

Ichigo just nodded and went inside.

Yamamoto listened to the seated officers of Squad Thirteen give their recommendations for where the graduates that they fought should go. Most of them ended up in Squad Six or some of the other Squads but not one went to Squad Eleven. Kenpachi would have turned them down anyway; none of them so far had the straight-forward fighting style that his Squad tended to favour.

The graduate that Yamamoto wanted to hear about was the one that had set the Seireitei's rumour mill alight; the accurately named Mystery. She was a riddle to many of the Shinigami and many more just wanted to know where she was going to _go_. What Squad was going to get the elusive girl and would she fit in?

"Kurosaki-kun; may you please give us your report on the spar you had with Mystery, where you believe she should be placed and why," Yamamoto quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts so he can hear this. Kurosaki had been sitting down for most of the meeting-not by choice mind you- and he slowly climbed up so he could give the report.

"I learned a few things from my fight with Mystery. She is predominantly a straight-forward fighter with no kido in her arsenal but she is quick and that is without her Shunpo. Her blade may be short but she is loaded with raw power that could become one of the most powerful reiatsu's in all of the Seireitei if she was properly trained."

He looked at the Soutaichou with a look that Yamamoto couldn't decipher, "May I speak freely?" He asked.

The Soutaichou nodded, glad the boy had asked first but wondering why he had asked in the first place.

Kurosaki nodded back, "I believe she should be placed with Squad Eleven," The seated officers started to murmur while the fukutaichou's gaped and most of the Taichou's either gave him a shocked look or pursed their lips. Kenpachi just gave a feral grin. Yamamoto was surprised but understood the choice at the same time. No wonder he wanted permission to speak freely; the others would contest the decision.

"Why should she go with Squad Eleven? She would be better suited for Squad Twelve," Mayuri Kurotsuchi drawled out.

Kurosaki levelled the painted man a glare that could have shrivelled the man-berries of a lesser man but Kurotsuchi just looked at him like Kurosaki was unimportant.

"She is not an experiment _Mayuri_ ," Kurosaki spat, catching everyone's attention. Ukitake quickly herded most of Squad Thirteen's seated officers-except Rukia, who stubbornly refused- out of the room, anticipating the fact that Kurosaki would defend Mystery, "She is a lost person who had finally got out of one hell. I would never send her into another hell. She needs a Squad that is stable and will allow her personality to grow," Byakuya tried to intervene but Kurosaki just keeps on going; effectively surprising everyone, "Squad Six, Squad Two and Squad Ten are too rigid while Squad Eight is too loose. Squad Five, Seven and Three are in turmoil at the moment and they wouldn't be able to give her the personal attention she needs. Squad One is led by the Soutaichou and he goes through too much paperwork to make daily time for her while Squad Nine's Taichou is helping with the paperwork for those three chaotic squads and Squad Four is just too busy with patients to take time for her. The only Squads that have the personal time, isn't too rigid or too loose are Squads Thirteen and Eleven," Many of the Shinigami looked impressed at the logic but some of the Taichou's weren't convinced, "Squad Thirteen already has an ice-zanpaktou user-sorry Rukia- so the only Squad that meets all of those requirements is Squad Eleven."

Mayuri opened his mouth to argue but Kurosaki cut him off, "I already told you your reason so shut your mouth," Mayuri huffed and Kurosaki ignored him like he wasn't interrupted, "Kenpachi would give her the love she needs," He turns his warm amber and honey brown eyes to Kenpachi, eyes glittering with an expression that Yamamoto had seen countless times on many of the younger generation, "I've seen him handle Yachiru-he's wonderful with her- but Mystery needs to be handled without the silk gloves. A kind word here, praise for a job well done there and lots of opportunities to help out and learn within the squad," Yamamoto realized at that point, Kurosaki was giving Kenpachi _instructions_ on how to handle her, "She loves to do household tasks so give her some chores; laundry, cooking, simple stuff. Yumichika and Ikkaku can step in to help when it is needed and I can help whenever I can."

Kenpachi had somehow managed to find a pad and pencil and was writing all of this down, making Kurosaki beam at the tall man; that same expression dancing in his eyes.

Mayuri decided that moment was the perfect time to ruin what could have turned into the gooiest moment in Seireitei history.

"Why the hell should we consider a ryoka's word over a Taichou's? I recommend we place her with me," The painted bastard sneered. The other Taichous were about to vote in Kurosaki's favour when Kurosaki _exploded_.

"MAYURI KUROTSUCHI! THAT GIRL HAD JUST ESCAPED FROM A LIFE OF SERVITUDE AND SHE IS IN NEED OF A GOOD HOME! SQUAD TWELVE MAY BE HOME TO SOME PEOPLE BUT _SHE_ IS NOT ONE OF THEM," Kurosaki marched forward-recovering from sickness and attempting to intervene Taichous' be damned- and snatched Mayuri's collar. Yamamoto was worried that he was about to witness a murder when Kurosaki man-handled the fool-who was scratching at Kurosaki's wrists and putting up a damn good fight- to a window but breathed a sigh of relief when the boy didn't open it; shoving the man against the glass instead so he can see outside.

The rest of the Taichou's and Fukutaichou's had crowded around the windows to see whatever the pair was seeing.

It took Yamamoto's breath away.

Ayasegawa and Mystery were sitting on the bench in the courtyard while Madarame danced around for their entertainment. Ayasegawa was laughing when Madarame tripped and landed flat on his face. Mystery just looked like she was about to have a heart attack until Ayasegawa whispered something to her, got up and pulled Madarame off of the ground and they started to dance; gracelessness all but gone as they flew across the piazza in an elegant symphony of movement. Mystery just looked like she had saw the most beautiful thing in the world and she wanted to know more about it, see more of its exotic and graceful beauty.

Kurosaki turned back to Mayuri, his voice no longer a violent holler but a soft and kind tone; which just made the next words said all the crueller, "Mystery had no one to turn to for the longest time. She had little to no food for weeks at a time and barely enough water to survive. She was forced to drink from the hose whenever she did the laundry. She had no student record because her teacher destroyed it to keep her at the school. Her hands have grease burns on them from making endless meals every day and Mystery still _smiled_ through it all. She is stronger than all of us and I refuse to place her in a squad that wouldn't help her grow. The only reason she isn't like a skeleton is because this year's graduates were kind and they fed, watered and helped Mystery whenever they could without getting caught; all of them faking sick at one point or another just to do it," He said, causing the others to observe the threesome down in the yard for a minute and that is when Mystery turned and spotted Kurosaki standing in the window.

Yamamoto smiled softly when he saw her waving at Kurosaki rapidly with a big radiant smile on her face. This expression turned into surprise when Madarame grabbed her and started to dance around the courtyard with her in his arms. Yamamoto could hear the shriek that she gave when she was snagged and he could hear Ayasegawa coach her gently as Madarame waltzed her smoothly across the square; taking her clumsy kitten-like stumbles and subtle flinches with nothing more than a soft smile-not at all like the usual shark like grin that caused many foes to freak out- and a slight adjustment to where his hands rested, never straying below her waist. The crisp white yukata that Fourth Squad patients wore made her skin paler than normal and Yamamoto sucked in a silent breath when he noticed the way her hand was thinner than normal and the slight sink in her cheeks. Madarame handled her like she was the most precious of treasure but he was by no means delicate with her. Yamamoto watched as he treated her like a normal person, a person that wasn't broken or had suffered so much unjustifiable cruelty at the hands of a person that was supposed to teach her. Ayasegawa swept her into his arms next and led Mystery in a moderate tango that she looked like she was enjoying immensely.

Yamamoto decided then and there where she truly belonged.

"Mystery will be placed with Squad Eleven," Yamamoto said, making every head turn towards him in mostly shock but Yamamoto couldn't ignore the blatant look of relief on Kurosaki's face, "All the Squads will perform the one month trial period and show their results at the stadium."

 ** _Wildcat: Hey ya'll! Did I do good?_**

 ** _Renji: Wildcat... why did Mystery try to take me out?_**

 ** _Wildcat: Because you are a loud son of a bitch?_**

 ** _Renji:...*pulls out Zabimaru* Howl Zabimaru..._**

 ** _Wildcat: Oh! No need to get violent! Usual Disclaimer! Bye! *Runs*_**


End file.
